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Kaelyn Gridley from Winnetka, Illinois has announced her verbal commitment to Duke University for 2022-23. Gridley was named to the “Best of the Rest” section of our Way Too Early List of Girls Recruits from the high school class of 2022.
A junior at New Trier High School, Gridley specializes in breaststroke and sprint freestyle. She is a 2020 Olympic Trials qualifier in the 100m breast (1:10.32) and a Summer National qualifier in the 200m breast (2:33.57).
Gridley won the 100 breast with 1:01.53 (she went 1:00.89 in prelims) at the 2019 Illinois IHSA Girls State Swimming and Diving Championships last November. She also won the 200 medley relay, breaking the state record, anchored the 5th-place 200 free relay (23.52), and placed 8th in the 50 free (23.77). Gridley had the #8 100 breast ranking in the United States for the 2019-20 NISCA Girls High School Swimming All-America season with 1:00.89. She was also ranked with the New Trier 200 medley relay (tied for #2 in the nation with Louisville’s Sacred Heart Academy) and 200 free relay (#32).
In club swimming, Gridley represents New Trier Aquatics. She punched her ticket to 2020 Olympic Trials (subsequently postponed to 2021) at the 2019 NCSA Summer Championship when she placed 2nd in the 100 breast with 1:10.32. She also finished 4th in the 200 breast (2:34.45) and 4th in the 50 breast (33.02) and took home a PB in the 50 free (27.91). She competed at 2019 U.S. Open in the 100/200 breast, as well. At the 2019 NCSA Spring Championship, she was runner-up in the 200 breast (2:13.04) and came in 8th in the 100 breast (1:02.16). She won the 100 breast (1:01.78) at the 2020 Illinois Swimming LSC Senior Short Course Championship in March.
Top SCY times:
- 200 breast – 2:13.04
- 100 breast – 1:00.89
- 50 breast – 28.67
- 50 free – 23.73
- 100 free – 53.27
- 200 IM – 2:07.05
Gridley will join the Blue Devils with fellow class of 2026 verbal commit Tatum Wall. She will be an immediate impact player for Duke, as her best 100 and breast times would make their respective B finals at the conference level. Duke women placed 6th of 12 teams at the 2020 ACC Women’s Championships.
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